My soon to be exhusband wants me to file taxes jointly. Will I be responsible for his debt?

4 Answers

Not trying to “pass the buck,” but you REALLY need to consult with a CPA regarding all such tax questions, because I don’t feel that you can get a definitive answer here, without a bunch of highly personal questions being asked of you.

Any tax liability that occurs as a result of filing jointly would be a joint responsibility. Any private debts he has incurred won’t be affected by your filing status.

In nearly all cases, married couples who file jointly pay much less in taxes as couples who file separately. The tax tables from the IRS tell the tale quite convincingly. A couple filing jointly on a $70,000 AGI will pay $10,348 in taxes. The same couple filing separately will pay $14,097.

If you are both working, you will both have a greater tax liability filing separately than you’ll have filing jointly. If only one works, that person’s liability is greater. You might consider that if you pay less in taxes, there will be more money to divvy up once you’ve made the split.

If you are going through a divorce, I trust you have a lawyer. This would be a good matter to discuss with your attorney, but from a strictly financial standpoint, you would probably be better to go along with your soon-to-be-ex’s request – even if it galls you to think about it.